My best friend's uncle's cousin
by J-Beany
Summary: Is seeing always believing? Lets let tatsuki see about that one...


My best friend's uncle's cousin(otherwise known as Renji)

Renji was my best friends uncle's cousin.

Or so Ichigo wanted me to believe.

I knew better than to confront him.

He didn't have an uncle, neither mind a cousin of some sort.

But I wasn't gonna let him know I'm catching on to him.

Never let him know I see his ghosts.

Never let him know I see his black cloak.

And never let him know I see the monsters he fights everyday.

Why you ask?

To admit I see these things means that I admit to seeing things I'm not meant to see, things that are not meant to be there, not meant to be real.

That's why I Tatsuki can never admit that I see these things, or I'd have to admit to myself finally and truly, that I like Ichigo .

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x—x-xx-x-x-x-x-x-x—xx-x-x-x-x-x-x-xxx-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x

He noticed, My best friends uncles cousin I mean.

He noticed I loved him.

"Why ichigo?" He asked

"Go away" I replied

I don't have time to be answering questions I don't even know the answers to. Never mind answering them for some stupid snot nosed red haired punk.

"How old are you anyway?" I asked curiously, he looked older than seventeen... or eighteen for that matter.

"Old enough" He shrugged placing his hands in his pockets and leaning back in a way that would suggest he was younger than he was.

That fool.

He was never gave up and was bugging me for the whole day.

Why? Why? WHY?

So I hit him

Simple

And the kept him quiet...for the whole of ten seconds

"Was it those golden orange locks?" he teased. "Or maybe those cold, hard eyes of his?"

I made a noise in the back of my throat before pummeling the crap out of him.

"_Nice to see you two are getting along..."_

I look up and there he is.

Ichigo's standing over me and looking at me when those cold hard and annoyingly attractive eyes.

He is staring at me intensely until I realise I actually have to think of a reply.

"Uh...yeah... I guess"

He nods and turns.

Renji snorts. "smooth..." he says.

And I can't think of a goddamn reply even to that crap.

Yeah... real smooth.

"So?" he asks later when I actually think he has shut up.

"Are you gonna do anything?"

"About what?"

"_About_ him"

"What_ about_ him?"

"... YOU ARE IN lo-"

A snap is heard and I am removed from the class.

Stupid teachers.

Not like I broke it...

"You could at least sign my sling..."

I look at him looking at the ground feeling all sorry for himself and snort

"Fine I will"

"...Really?"

"Yes..."

I Take out my sharpie and draw my masterpiece.

"Real funny"

"I don't know what you are talking about.."

"That donkey is me right?"

"Its not a donkey... its a mouse"

"Really?"

"_Yes_"

"Oh...I thought it was weird it was being eaten by cat"

"..."

It was after this point when I left.

My dignity stayed behind.

He didn't need a sling anyway.

He was just being difficult.

So when I saw the amount of signatures the next day needless to say I was shocked.

"People actually_ signed _your sling!" I exclaimed mostly of of shock

He smirked.

"I'm quite the Casanova.."

"Who is Casanova renji?"

"...Shut up."

I skim the signatures idly until I am met with one I have to mock.

"Who put a heart on your arm?"

He smirks

"What was she drunk, or drugged or just plain stupid ?"

He is still smirking

I look at him curiously narrowing my eyes.

Why is he so amused?

"And anyway can she even spell I swear it says-"

And that's when I realise it doesn't say renji's name at all.

But _Mine_

"Who-"

"You're not the only one talented with a sharpie pen"

I stare endlessly at the words forged into his arm.

Tatsuki -Hearts- I,

Tatsuki -Hearts- I,

_**Tatsuki -Hearts- I**_

"I am going to KILL you"

He actually chortles at this

I am about to wring his neck when I am met with a voice behind me.

"_Hey renji... where can I sign your cast"_

I Freeze and turn

"Sign?" I breathe nervously.

He eyes me suspiciously .

"_Yeah... hes been bugging me about it.."_

I Gaze at him for a second before resting my eyes back to the buffoon I want to strangle.

He looks so smug. He must of planned it that little-

"You can't sign it" I say quickly

"Why..?"

"Because..."

"Because...?"

I look at renji pleadingly but he merely shakes him head in reply.

That rat.

I'll get him.

"He wants to save the space for rukia" I breathe sarcastically "Since you know he is SO in love with her!"

I never thought I could hear silence before.

But in that moment I knew it was possible.

Renji is stares at me wide eyed

whereas Ichigo is avoiding my gaze all together.

"_I have...to go"_

I turn and ichigo makes his way out of the class, renji on the other hand...

"Hey?" I say with a reassuring smirk to try and get handle of the situation.

"Got you good didn't I ?"

"Yeah.." He says downcast before leaving himself slapping his sling down in front of me in the process

"I _guess_ you did.."

I can't help the emotion that swells over me when he goes.

Why does he care that much?

It was just a joke

Wasn't it?

I study the sling perfectly before I realise a single fact.

Ichigo wouldn't have seen the heart anyway.

Renji turned it inside out when I wasn't looking.

That fool.

"Hey" I say later on the roof, it took me a while to track him down.. then again a red ponytail is quite hard to miss.

He looks up but pretends he does not hear me.

That idiot could never act to save his life.

I move closer

"HEY" I shout, but again he ignores me.

"HEY" I scream from the bottom of my lungs stomping towards him, I am really mad now I grab his shoulder and force him to turn towards me.

"Hey, Look at me you fool and-

But I am cut off.

Because he kisses me

"ww-what are you-"

"And I'm the idiot?"

"But you..."

"This was never about rukia or ichigo... it was about you... or at least" He whispers " I thought you knew it was"

He stalks towards the door and I am left breathless.

He turns to me before he leaves

"Do you really love ichigo?... because..." He pauses and stops himself

"Never mind" He growls and leaves me alone on the roof

"Because what?" I whisper to myself.

I can't see it.

I really can't.

Since when did he..

He always knew I liked ichigo _Always_

Did he think I was kidding or something?

Then again I never admitted it...

But I thought he always liked rukia.

Did he think I was playing a game with him?

Why was he so upset?

….I really don't understand him.

He didn't even start talking to me until he mentioned Ichigo.

Wait did he use ichigo to talk to me?

I can't handle this anymore, I decide to go up to ichigo the next day and confront him.

"Hey" I say forcing a smile.

But his eyes speak for him.

"Wheres renji" He asks.

"Renji?" I question.

"Yeah renji"

"Why"

"I need to talk to him"

"...About what..."

He looks at me seriously before considering to tell me something.

"Tatsuki" He starts and the next four words decide exactly what he is going to say.

"We need to talk"

I gulp and he leads me to that roof.

He looks at me seriously before casting his gaze down.

"Tatsuki... don't be mad but.."

"But.. what?"

He sighs and settles uncomfortably onto his left foot.

"... I've always known you liked me..."

Something hard struck me several times

"And I asked renji to deal with it..."

More strikes

"..Because I'm in love with rukia"

The final blow.

I went to speak but could not.

He took this as a cue to continue

"He thought the best way would be to get you to admit it and then deal from it from there"

I wanted to scream and shout and Punch things in what logic did that make-

"But what he was really doing, was trying to make you fall for him so you could forget about me"

I am so mad I can hardly contain it anymore.

"Fall! That idiot wanted me to _Fall _for him, all he did was tease me and-"

Stare at me

And bug me all day long

And find excuses to talk to me

"Ichigo..." I say realising finally" He.. didn't"

"He fell for you tatsuki" He added

"But I didn't do anything!"I exclaim "I didn't talk to him that much! I didn't look at him that much! how could he think I knew about all this... I mean-"

"Wake up tatsuki!" Ichigo growls "Can't you see anything"

I stare at him wide eyed.

"See what?"

"You are more stupid than he is!"

I go to speak but he stops me.

"You are only thinking of the parts where you mention me, Don't you ever remember all the time you spent with him aside from talking about me!"

And it hits me Hard when I realise everything I tried to ignore.

He was talking to me way before he ever mentioned ichigo.

I Hurt his arm actually because he was going to confess to me.

And most importantly, that day when I said he loved rukia.

I lied.

I said he loved me.

Loudly

And in front of ichigo.

I had cut all the other parts out because a part of me was scared. It was safer loving ichigo.

Ichigo grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me thoroughly.

"Go" he says strongly

And when I don't move he shouts.

"GO!"

And I run.

Because its the only thing I trust myself to do anymore.

I reach the main gates when I see him.

"Renji!" I shout and attempt to run to him so fast that I trip over my legs and tumble onto him.

And there I sit for a while until I realise the most important thing.

"Do you remember the first thing you ever said to me" I ask

And he smiles.

"Yeah" He says

"I said why" he continues

"Why what?"

"Why aren't you in love with me already?"

-x-

To admit I see these things means that I admit to seeing things I'm not meant to see, things that are not meant to be there, not meant to be real.

That's why I Tatsuki can never admit that I see these things, or I'd have to admit to myself finally and truly, that I **Love **Renji .

**A/N: Happiness overtakes me, I love it when I finish an old fic and bring new life.**


End file.
